Dear...
When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.
Proverbs 11:7
Not
sure about you, but it is always sobering for me to receive news of the
death of someone, even if that person was a stranger to me. It is times
like this that I am reminded that being made ready by the Spirit of God
for eternity must be our sole imperative, much as the temporal allure
of our present world is difficult to resist.
And just this morning,
our good Lord deeply impressed upon me in my sleep, the need to prepare
for eternity, rather than the temporal. The reminder to invest in His
kingdom, rather
than the world.
And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
Acts 2:45
I
must be from Mars to even imagine the above is happening amongst the
majority of Earthlings. Or more specifically amongst the privileged
minority residing in Mother Earth who have the wherewithal to share
their God given blessings, be it material resources or other.
Accumulation
is the second nature of most, distribution as in the sharing of God's
blessings, that is a distant third. And when one makes an investment
decision, it is almost always "is it good for me?" rarely would the
criteria be "is it good for others? and "is it in line with the will of
God?'
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Ephesians 1:9
Being a committed follower of Christ does
not mean the need to shorn oneself of the accoutrements of the present
world. To disengage from the world also runs contrary to the example
showed by Christ. What is more relevant is, in our worldly pursuits,
have we lost sight of Christ, much as He is very present in our midst?
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows:
for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Psalms 127:2
The
"property conundrum," this was the original title that I had intended
to be the banner for my present thoughts. " A paradoxical, insoluble or a
difficult problem, a dilemma," this is the Merriam-Webster dictionary
definition of " conundrum.
"To be or not to be," a good
Shakespearean might ponder. "To buy or not to buy," the
enamored collector of "brick and mortar," might pause for a moment, in
the light of the astronomical prices and punitive measures by the
Singapore government, and the like in HK. But tally not, for the ever
garrulous specuvestor, ( a term coined in previous property cycles,
where one flips a recently purchased property like a coin, for more than
a bag of profits, and keeps the property longer term as an investment
if prices fall). There are many alternates, be it chasing commercial
properties and $6 million prewar shophouses.
And with the increasing array of "choice" properties from UK, Australia, Malaysia and even Japan, we are spoiled for choice.
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it:
except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
Psalms 127:1
Have
we forgotten that the only house that matters is us, the temple upon
which the
Spirit of our Almighty God resides? And the church("the people of
God") is the only truly corporate body we should be concerned about,
rather than a portfolio of properties.
Have we in our pursuit of
not just that dream home, but an entire property portfolio plain
neglected our responsibility to be made ready when Christ returns?
"Brick by brick," God will lovingly mold us, but how many are willing
and have responded?
Psalms 71:1-3
In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.
........... Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort:
thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
Would we need a personal tsunami to bring us back into perspective?
For
much as many subscribe to the dictum "Tomorrow never dies," as in the
James Bond movie, real life can be sobering compared to reel life. For
like the song goes, "it takes only a spark"
to set the fire going. The world is living on this intoxicating brew of
'cheap monies' and delusion that governments can keep the specter of
rising interest rates at bay.
This charade might last a little longer
if only the USA is printing alone. But with Japan breaking ranks and
its long repressed subservience to their conqueror USA starting to be
tenuous, a currency war while not blatantly obvious, has become a
distinct possibility, if not already ongoing.
now may Israel say;
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us:
Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:
Psalms 124:1-3
And
like the Molotov cocktail, a generic term for improvised incendiary
bombs, in a totally yet intertwined theater is that of an increasing
risk of a major conflict in the Mid-East between a divided Israel
and Iran's erstwhile but coalescing allies in Syria, Lebanon and the
Gaza Strip.
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us- ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Ephesians 1:19
No one knows when the "House of Cards will come tumbling down, but it will.
It
is time to break free from the maze of the unholy alliance between our
carnal self and the delusive Lucifer. Instead turn to God, be still and
know His will. And in your obedience respond as His Spirit leads, and be
amazed by His way.
Again, the devil taketh him up into an
exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world,
and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give
thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Matthew 4:8-9
God uses the ordinary. Much as the world is
enamored with vestiges of success, as is often showcased in the popular
media, we are being duped by the devil. We forsake eternity for the
temporal. In our pursuit of the world, we not just lose sight of Heaven,
but deprive ourselves of the blessings of the omnipresent God in our
daily living. And the opportunity to witness the power of the gospel at
work.
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things
after the counsel of his own will:
Ephesians 1:11
God blesses
Eng Hieang
24th Feb 2013
A brick layer's guide
- immerse yourself in the presence of God, be it His Words, prayers or praise
- honor Him in all circumstances and always with a thankful heart
- follow as His Spirit
leads
- God will provide
Lately,I have spent a fair bit of
time trying to understand the Japanese property market. In the Land of
the fallen sun, prices go for US$100-130 psf outside Tokyo, with annual
rental yields at 10%. For the same outlay, one could buy a block of
flats in Kyushu instead of a shoebox 2 bedder in Central London.
I am
looking at Japan not because of these compelling valuations, but rather
as a response to the Holy Spirit's leading, for the hard ground in
Japan is being softened. There is a need to create places of rest for
people who will be sent to minister.
Earthquake, that is the norm in
Japan, so investing in real estate seems rather foolish. But there is a
spiritual shaking and I believe God has called on the faithful to
invest, to make ready for what He is about to wrought in Japan.
Is this a good example of investing in His Kingdom, or man's hallucination?
If our heart is right, God will make it right.
Watch this space!!
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